Addressing A Former President
Hes Screwed Over So Many Publishers: Trump Confronts A Skeptical Book Industry
The former president insists he has offers from two of the most prestigious publishing houses. None of the major five said they extended one.
06/15/2021 04:31 AM EDT
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Almost five months after leaving office, major publishing houses still are wary of publishing a book by former President Donald Trump, even though a post-White House memoir would almost assuredly be a best-seller.
Their reluctance is driven by several factors, though the underlying fear is that whatever Trump would write wouldnt be truthful.
t would be too hard to get a book that was factually accurate, actually, said one major figure in the book publishing industry, explaining their reluctance to publish Trump. That would be the problem. If he cant even admit that he lost the election, then how do you publish that?
Its unheard of for a former U.S. president to struggle to score a major book deal after leaving office. And the absence of Trumps own words from the literary world is made even more pronounced by the fact that several of his top aides and former Cabinet officials are writing books of their own. Former Vice President Mike Pence scored a seven-figure deal for two books with Simon & Schuster a decision that sparked some employees of the company, well-known Simon & Schuster authors, and others to circulate a petition accusing the storied book house of promoting bigotry.
Somebody could have offered him 100 dollars, the person said. It doesnt mean anything.
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Memo From Trump Attorney Outlined How Pence Could Overturn Election Says New Book
ABC News Jonathan Karl covers the story in his new book on Trumps presidency.
US Capitol riots: Tracking the insurrection
In a memo not made public until now, then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows emailed to Vice President Mike Pences top aide, on New Years Eve, a detailed plan for undoing President Joe Bidens election victory, ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl reports.
The memo, written by former President Donald Trumps campaign lawyer Jenna Ellis, is reported for the first time in Karls upcoming book, Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show demonstrating how Pence was under even more pressure than previously known to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Ellis, in the memo, outlined a multi-step strategy: On Jan. 6, the day Congress was to certify the 2020 election results, Pence was to send back the electoral votes from six battleground states that Trump falsely claimed he had won.
The memo said that Pence would give the states a deadline of 7pm eastern standard time on January 15th to send back a new set of votes, according to Karl.
Then, Ellis wrote, if any state legislature missed that deadline, no electoral votes can be opened and counted from that state.
The day after Meadows sent Ellis memo to Pences aide, on Jan. 1, Trump aide John McEntee sent another memo to Pences chief of staff, Marc Short, titled, Jefferson used his position as VP to win.
I wouldnt dispute it, Trump said to Karl.
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Donald Trump Offering Personalized Messages On Post
Former President Donald Trump has a large and fiercely loyal following of supporters, and now he’s given them a way to request a personalized message.
Trump’s post-presidential website has a section where supporters can request a message from the ex-president and former first lady Melania Trump for a “special occasion.”
It’s not uncommon for a former president to give people a way to reach, and you can request a personalized memento from former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
Requesting a message from the Trumps is fairly easy and can be submitted electronically directly from his website. The form asks about the occasion, information on the recipient and requestor and any additional details the former president should know.
Receiving a message from Trump isn’t guaranteed, though, and requires planning because it can take up to six weeks to get a greeting. The office won’t provide status updates, either, and advises people to not resubmit a request because a duplicate request will supersede the original submission and delay processing.
Record high numbers of people turned out in last November’s election, and although he lost to Joe Biden, Trump received the most votes of any Republican presidential candidate in history. He hasn’t ruled out making another bid for the presidency in 2024, and a majority of his supporters are willing to back him as the Republican nominee.
What Have Outgoing Presidents Written To Their Successors In The Past
Many past letters from former to incoming presidents have been published.
An early example is a telegram from Herbert Hoover to Franklin Roosevelt, who took office in 1933.
Mr Hoover was “badly defeated” in the 1932 election, but still sent his best wishes to his successor.
I congratulate you on the opportunity that has come to you to be of service to the country and I wish for you a most successful administration in the common purpose of all of us.
I shall dedicate myself to every possible helpful effort.
Herbert Hoover
“I would like you to know that I stand ready to meet with you at any mutually agreeable time to consider problems of continuity of government and orderly transfer of executive responsibilities on January 20th from my administration to yours,” the telegram read.
Mr Kennedy sent a note back to Mr Eishenhower on January 21, 1961 his first full day in office thanking him for assisting in “one of the most effective transitions in the history of our Republic”.
When George H. W. Bush took over from Ronald Reagan in 1989, he found a handwritten note waiting for him at the White House.
The note was titled Don’t let the turkeys get you down, complete with illustrations.
Dear George:
Youll have moments when you want to use this particular stationery. Well, go to it.
George, I treasure the memories we share and wish you all the very best. Youll be in my prayers. God bless you and Barbara. I’ll miss our Thursday lunches.
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Donald Trump Sends Letter To Oberheim Family
MONTICELLO, Ill. – Former President Donald Trump mailed a letter to the family of fallen Champaign officer Chris Oberheim.
The letter began by saying America would never forget Oberheim’s “courage, commitment and bravery.” The former president went on to say some positive words about law enforcement.
“The men and women of law enforcement are steadfast reminders of the true source of American greatness and glory,” Trump said. “They honorably uphold their oath to protect and serve their community and our country each day – even in the face of unimaginable danger.”
Trump said Chris Oberheim will “always be remembered for his last full measure of devotion as a true American hero.”
“Melania and I pray that God’s grace grants you, Avery, Addison, Aubrey and Hannah continued peace and comfort,” the former president said in closing.
When Biden Found Trumps Letter To Him In Oval Office He Put It In His Pocket And Did Not Share It: Book
On his first day in office, President Joe Biden had his predecessor on his mind: Some of the historic number of executive actions he took in the hours after being sworn in on Jan. 20 reversed policies put in place by Donald Trump.
But when Biden found a letter from Trump in a drawer of the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office in what appeared to be a rare acknowledgment by Trump of his defeat the new commander-in-chief tucked it away and went right back to work, according to a new book.
He put it in his pocket and did not share it with his advisers, Bob Woodward and Robert Costa write in Peril, which was released Tuesday. His attention turned to the virus.
Biden, 78, later confirmed the existence of the presidential epistle but gave away very little about its contents. The president wrote a very generous letter, he told reporters in the Oval Office later on Jan. 20. Because it was private, I will not talk about it until I talk to him. But, uh, it was generous.
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and President Donald Trump
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The letter, which has been a tradition from one president to the next since Ronald Reagan, was notable given how Trump refused to concede his loss in the 2020 election, one of countless political norms he ignored since he announced his candidacy for president in 2015.
MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty President Joe Biden
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Donald Trump Selling Washington Hotel To Investment Firm For Us$375m: Reports
Donald Trumps opulent hotel near the White House that drew lobbyists and diplomats seeking favour with the ex-president as well as criticism as a symbol of his ethics conflicts is being sold to a Miami investment group, according to published reports citing anonymous sources.
CGI Merchant Group agreed to pay the Trump Organization US$375 million for the rights to the 263-room hotel and has plans to rebrand it as a Waldorf Astoria, according to The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, citing sources with knowledge of the matter.
Neither the Trump Organization nor CGI responded to numerous requests for comment.
The deal is expected to close early next year after which the hotel will be managed by the Waldorf Astoria under a separate deal struck by CGI, according to the Journal. The Waldorf Astoria business is owned by Hilton Worldwide Holdings.
The hotel has been a big money loser for the Trump family since it won rights to convert a stately federal building called the Old Post Office from the federal government under a lease that, with extensions, can run nearly 100 years.
The federal agency that owns the property, the U.S. General Services Administration, must sign off on any sale.
Looming over all the din in his glittering lobby was the question: How much were decisions made by Trump a few blocks away in the Oval Office being shaped by his financial interests and, even if not at all, why risk tarnishing U.S. policy with even the appearance of conflict?
